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May 28, 2026 / Michigan Union

Agenda

All Day

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Poster Sessions

  • Poster title: Maizey AI Chatbot for Social Impact and Sustainability at U-M

    Presented by: Glenn Bugala

  • Poster title: SMTD’s Flexible Profiles Showcase Artistic and Scholarly Works

    Presented by: Tracy Payovich

  • Poster title: From Inbox to Community: A Slack Onboarding Challenge

    Presented by: Lisa Garber

  • Poster title: Beyond Pageviews: Your Digital Content, Measured Smarter

    Presented by: Arpita Shah & Elizabeth Palmer Jarvis

  • Poster title: Goodbye Wall of Text, Hello Student Clicks: The AI Email Makeover

    Presented by: Cory Glover

  • Poster title: I Thought of You When I Read This Story

    Presented by: Becky Majesky

  • Poster title: The Leap to Generative AI: Lessons from Evolving the School of Public Health Chatbot

    Presented by: Jacqueline Trammer

  • Poster title: Beyond Text-Generation: Non-Writing Use Cases For AI In Communications

    Presented by: Craig McCool

  • Poster title: Workflow as Strategy: The Machine Behind a Campus Visitor Guide

    Presented by: Jana Navratilova

  • Poster title: Hey Google, Where’s My Comms Plan?

    Presented by: Jamie Sanchez

  • Poster title: From Tension to Trust: Leveraging Stakeholder and Audience Engagement for Success

    Presented by: Nick Kaleba

  • Poster title: The Ghostwriter’s Toolkit: Authenticity and Brand Alignment in Leadership Communications

    Presented by: Elizabeth Frazier

  • Poster title: How Solo Communicator Experience Equips Communicators to Lead

    Presented by: Eric Anderson

  • Poster title: Event Planning on our Decentralized Campus: Lessons from Martha Cook

    Presented by: Sarah Sheldon

  • Poster title: Events Without Chaos: How Small Teams Build Big Events

    Presented by: Robert Cameron

8:45–9:30 am

Outside Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Registration

9:30–10:30 am

Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Keynote: Think Like a Reader by Ann Wylie

10:30–10:45 am

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Take a moment to recharge in the Pendleton Room, connect with sponsors, browse poster presentations, and continue filling out your Sponsor Bingo card as you go.

10:45–11:35 am

Breakout #1

  • Location: Anderson, 1st Floor

    Session title: Can We Say This? Strategic Communications When Speaking Out Feels Scary

    Presented by: Michael Kasiborski, Catherine Garber, and Whitney Vojtkofsky

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Kuenzel, 1st Floor

    Session title: “Who Cares?” Ad Targeting, Creative, and Differentiating Yourself

    Presented by: Rob Van Auken, Rachel Sarasin, and Max Tanau

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Pond, 1st Floor

    Session title: Health Lab: 67 Million Pageviews and Counting

    Presented by: Johanna Younghans Baker and Mary Masson

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

    Session title: Think Outside the Pyramid

    Presented by: Ann Wylie

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    Sponsored by: Retirement Income Solutions

  • Location: Wolverine Room, 3rd Floor

    Session title: From Vision to Execution: Integrating Strategy, Communications, and Project Management

    Presented by: Lynn Carruthers, Kaye Byrd, and Lisa LaBelle

    Unit/Organization:

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11:35–12:00 pm

2210, 2nd Floor

Lunch Pick-Up

Please promptly pick up your lunch and head to your seat as we prepare to welcome our featured lunch speaker. If your name tag indicates dietary restrictions, please look for the meals at the far end of 2210.

12:05–12:50 pm

Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Lunch and speaker: Bridget Fahrland on AI Transformation

12:50–1:15 pm

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Step away and visit the Pendleton Room to review poster presentations. Don’t forget to collect your stickers for the Sponsor Bingo card before the grand prize drawing on Friday!

1:15–2:45 pm

Workshops

Your name tag indicates the workshop you selected during registration. Please head to the room that matches your assignment.

  • Location: Anderson, 1st Floor

    Session title: Ten Tactile Tips and Tricks for Graphic Design Triumph!

    Presented by: Aaron Draplin

    Unit/Organization:

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    Sponsored by: the Image Group

  • Location: Kuenzel, 1st Floor

    Session title: Make a Maizey Workshop for Communicators

    Presented by: Jennifer Wilkerson, Ben Andries, and Matt Milligan

    Unit/Organization:

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    Sponsored by: Consolidus

  • Location: Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

    Session title: Cut Through the Clutter

    Presented by: Ann Wylie

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    Sponsored by: FedEx Office

  • Location: Wolverine Room, 3rd Floor

    Session title: From Panic to Purpose: Communicating Effectively During a Crisis

    Presented by: Jen Rettig, Rebekah Carmichael, and Paul Corliss

    Unit/Organization:

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2:45–3 pm

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Step away and visit the Pendleton Room to review poster presentations. Don’t forget to collect your stickers for the Sponsor Bingo card before the grand prize drawing on Friday!

3–3:45 pm

Facilitated Networking (6)

3:45–4 pm

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Take a final break in the Pendleton Room and make any last connections. This is your final opportunity to collect Bingo stickers before the grand prize drawing on Friday morning.

8:30 am

Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Continental breakfast & Sponsor Bingo Grand Prize Drawing

Start your morning with a continental breakfast and coffee in the Rogel Ballroom. At the end of breakfast, before our panel, we will draw the winner of the sponsor bingo grand prize provided by Consolidus; you must be present to win.

9–10 am

Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Mattering at Michigan: An Ecosystem-wide Commitment to Human Health & Well-being Panel

Hear from U-M health & wellness leaders about individual well-being resources; our commitment to embedding well-being into systems and policies; and the imperative role communicators play in moving this work forward.

10–10:10 am

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Use this time to recharge and head to the Pendleton Room to review poster presentations showcasing the work of our colleagues across campus and connect with the sponsors who make MXB possible.

10:10–11 am

Breakout #2

  • Location: 2210, 2nd Floor

    Session title: Data-Informed Strategy: Balance Tradition and Innovation for Alumni Readers

    Presented by: Katherine Fiorillo, Jeremy Carroll, Rebecca Cohen, Quanda Hunter, and Madison Brow

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Anderson, 1st Floor

    Session title: Animation Demystified: From Storyboard to Screen

    Presented by: Nick Looney

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Kuenzel, 1st Floor

    Session title: 1, 2, What? Counting What Counts to Show Impact and Win Authority

    Presented by: Heather Guenther

    Unit/Organization:

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    Sponsored by: Salesforce

  • Location: Pond, 1st Floor

    Session title: Crafting a Unique Identity: Michigan Ross Los Angeles

    Presented by: Rick Scott and and Doug Blanchard

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

    Session title: Getting Started with Automation: Real Examples for Building More Efficient Workflows

    Presented by: Bailey Ayers-Korpal and Molly Garczynski

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  • Location: Wolverine Room, 3rd Floor

    Session title: Meeting the Moment: Reimagining Content to Succeed in 2026

    Presented by: Jennifer Judge Hensel and Nicole Casal Moore

    Unit/Organization:

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11–11:10 am

Pendleton Room, 2nd Floor

Break

Use this time to recharge and head to the Pendleton Room to review poster presentations showcasing the work of our colleagues across campus and connect with the sponsors who make MXB possible.

11:10 am–12:00 pm

Breakout #3

  • Location: 2210, 2nd Floor

    Session title: There's an Anniversary Coming Up: Now What?

    Presented by: Ray Aldrich, Kara Gavin, and Lindsay Groth

    Unit/Organization:

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    Sponsored by: Ann Arbor T-Shirt Company

  • Location: Anderson, 1st Floor

    Session title: Wicked: Newsletter Updates for a Reader's Good

    Presented by: Sarah Tuxbury and Jessica Bixby

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Kuenzel, 1st Floor

    Session title: Branding for Belonging: Accessible Marketing Tools for High Impact Communicators

    Presented by: Allison Kushner and Erin Metz

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  • Location: Rogel Ballroom, 2nd Floor

    Session title: Maximum Impact: Setting Your Stories Up for Success

    Presented by: Matt Davenport, Fernanda Pires, and Beata Mostafavi. Facilitated by Katie Vloet and David Ablauf

    Unit/Organization:

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  • Location: Wolverine Room, 3rd Floor

    Session title: 30 Websites, One Vision: Rebuilding M Medicine Websites

    Presented by: Rekha Lalwani and Denise Beaudoin

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12:00 pm–12:45 pm

Meet in the Rogel Ballroom/Event Will Take Place at the Regents Plaza, 2nd Floor

A Breath of Fresh Air by Nature Rx

Wrap Up the Day with Nature Rx for "A Breath of Fresh Air"

Time in nature supports well-being! As you wrap up your MXB conference, explore practices to refresh energy and reduce stress through this guided outdoor nature experience. Try out a variety of activities to foster nature engagement, along with practical tips for restoring anytime, anywhere. Facilitators will share guidance suitable for first-time and returning participants. Sponsored by Nature Rx, Mental Health Counseling & Consultation Services, and MHealthy.